I did not think it the best analogy, but I was able to follow it. However there were errors in the comparison. The influence of being reinterpreted, altered and publicized anew is very different from merely being potentially influenced by outside viewing or reading material.

And yes, millions are comfortable with his approach. I myself loved most of it, only despising a small fraction of the whole. That isn't the issue in question.

There will be millions of people, literally, who will see these movies, and take them as cannon. They will never read the books. All they will ever know of this legendarium will be what they see in those films, and however much those films misrepresent or defy the source, so too will those viewers understanding be marred. Omissions and additions that do not challenge the essential structures of the work are one thing, but boldly contradictory deviations are another.

If a highly popularaized version of the film came out in which Gandalf temporarily fell to Sauron's influence and assisinated Galadriel and Elrond, and this rubbish deviation were represented as a straight representation of the tale, I rather think you would tire of having to tell ignorant friends and/or acquaintances, "NO! That NEVER happened!!!"

In Reply To

I don't think I follow.

How do we obliterate the original tale? I am watching a new version of Murder on The Orient Express right now. It doesn't feature all of the same characters as previous versions or indeed the text. I don't see how anything is obliterated in multiple tellings where elements are different. It is instead interesting and offers new things with which to engage.

Movie audiences have demonstrated in their millions upon millions that they are comfortable with Jackson's approach to adapting Tolkien. I'm not sure we need to fear a change of mind just yet.

LR

"Hear me, hounds of Sauron, Gandalf is here! Fly if you value your foul skins, I will shrivel you from tail to snout if you step within this circle!"

"Do not be to eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."